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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. present — a gift
  3. key — for a lock
  4. deal — to handle
  5. file — a tool
  6. key — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a document
  9. present — there
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. suit — to fit
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. suit — in cards
  16. key — the most important part
  17. suit — clothes
  18. present — the time now
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com